Editorial–Manitoulin Island lies along the outer edge of many migratory bird flightpaths and is home to many varieties of environmentally conscious individuals, which is why the many blank squares on the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas are viewed with some surprise.
The Breeding Bird Atlas compendium of data detailing the numbers and locations of bird species across the continent is an important indicator of the health of those species, and the Ontario version provides important insights into ornithologists, those who study birds, but its importance extends far beyond the confines of academic ivory towers.
“The canary in the coal mine” has long been a term used to highlight something that is an early indicator of problems. In a literal sense, canaries were used for many years as a test of air quality in underground works such as mines. When the canary keeled over in its cage, a miner knew it was time to leave the workings as the air quality was deteriorating to the point of danger. For the canary it already proved fatal.
So, it is with the general bird population. Over the past few years, the number of birds taking wing over our communities has dropped precipitously. That there are far fewer birds is not something that comes readily to mind. We take our feathered neighbours for granted, and little notice when one or another species once common species is no longer among the throng singing amongst our trees and bushes. The proof is in the coffee shop. When was the last time you heard someone remark about the dearth of eastern loggerhead shrikes in the region?
The decline of bird species should be raising far more concern than has been the case—they are in a quite literal sense the canaries in our communities. That the decline has been most prevalent in the numbers of bird species that take their food on the wing, such as those dining on flying insects, should be ringing much louder alarm bells. There is no cage or ramp providing a relatively short trip to the surface and fresh air. This is it.
That is a compelling reason those blank squares on the Ontario Breeding Atlas maps of Manitoulin need to be filled in. Those data sets provide insight into how serious the decline in bird species is and provide important clues as to why birds are in decline. We live in a closed system. It’s a big closed system, to be sure, but a closed system nonetheless, and Elon Musk and his SpaceX dream notwithstanding, humanity has nowhere else to go. We live and we die where we stand.
The commitment to filling in those blank spots on the Manitoulin breeding bird maps isn’t all that onerous and the importance of the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas extends far beyond the birder community. That the importance of those datasets has escaped the notice of the Island’s environmental advocates is puzzling—especially given that some of the blank spots are where Manitoulin’s highest population densities lie.
Given how expeditions to identify breeding birds encompass getting exercise in the fresh air, it would seem an ideal family outing for the environmentally conscious. It has never been so easy—there’s even an app for that. (Just remember to respect private property while doing so.)
We are in the third year of the five-year window in which the data for the next Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas is being compiled by citizen scientists. Let’s do Manitoulin proud and fill in those blank spots.
It’s in all our best interests.
